It is considered a model organism for the study of molecular biology of senescence (aging), prions, sexual reproduction, and meiotic drive.

P. anserina is estimated to have diverged from Neurospora crassa 75 million years ago based on 18S rRNA and protein orthologous share 60-70% homology.

Podospora is a model organism to study genetics, aging (senescence, cell degeneration), ascomycete development, heterokaryon incompatibility,[8] mating in fungi, prions, and mitochondrial and peroxisomal physiology.

[9] Podospora is easily culturable on complex (full) potato dextrose, cornmeal agar/broth, or even synthetic medium, and, using modern molecular tools, is easy to manipulate.

[7] In addition, two other populations have been sampled, one in Usingen, Germany,[12] and the other in Wageningen, the Netherlands,[13][14][15][16] both of which have been used to study spore killing, the phenotypic expression of meiotic drive in fungi.

[21][22] Senescence occurs because during respiration reactive oxygen species are produced that limit the life span and over time defective mitochondrial DNA can accumulate.

[20] In the P. anserina aging model, autophagy, a pathway for the degradation of damaged biomolecules and organelles, was shown to be a longevity assurance mechanism.

[9] In 2005, a method for gene deletion was developed based on a model for Aspergillus nidulans that involved cosmid plasmid transformation.

From Podospora anserina two new natural products classified as pentaketides, specifically derivatives of benzoquinones, were discovered; these showed antifungal, antibacterial, and cytotoxic activities.